65: Mount Soputan volcano erupts in central Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia – One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes has erupted, shooting ash and smoke nearly 1 1/2 kilometers (one mile) into the sky. State volcanology official Kristianto says Mount Soputan on central Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island erupted Tuesday afternoon. Kristianto, who uses one name, says there is no plan for an immediate evacuation since the nearest villages are outside the danger area of about 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) from the crater. Mount Soputan is about 1,350 miles (2,160 kilometers) northeast of Jakarta. It last erupted in July last year, causing no casualties. Indonesia straddles the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Basin. It has more active volcanoes than any other nation. Another mountain, Gamalama, erupted last week on the Molucca Islands. –Huffington Post